Automan: Overclocked
by SailorChronos1
Summary: Officer Baines is taken off her latest case due to bad judgment.  But when her friends Walter and Automan are put in danger, she disobeys orders to help rescue them.  Automan realizes just how human he's becoming.  Sequel to Automan: Dual Core.
1. Chapter 1

Automan and all character names therein are owned by the American Broadcasting Company and Twentieth Century Fox. All characters are fictional and resemblance to any persons living or dead is coincidental. No copyright infringement is intended.

Automan: Overclocked  
By Sailor Chronos

Chapter 1

3 December 2002

"Hello, Baines," the middle-aged Lt. Baker hollered into the squad room where Carolina was taking some notes for her latest assignment. "Hamilton is waiting for you, so get a move on!"

"Yes, sir, I'm just reviewing the file," she responded.

Baker glared at her, but not unkindly. "With any luck, you'll be the ones to find something. But if you don't, maybe you ought to call that high-powered federal buddy of yours to assist. He seems to always know what's happening and where." He withdrew, slamming the door.

She sighed. Having such an acerbic superior officer was wearing on the nerves sometimes, but the man was good at his job and helped run the division efficiently. Plus it was a subtle mark of distinction in itself that he frequently chose her for cases that involved computers or electronics because of her background in the field.

The file that she had received that afternoon was concerning a series of thefts of high-end electronic equipment from the harbour. Shipments destined for both large retailers and specialty shops were disappearing under mysterious circumstances. Sometimes they would turn up a few hours later but with some components missing. Other times none of the equipment was seen again.

There had been efforts made to track down those responsible, including an increase of patrols, but the perpetrators continued to elude capture. Tonight, she and her temporary partner Jim Hamilton were going undercover at the Port of L.A. in the hopes of making some progress in the matter.

For a brief moment Lina wondered if she should take Baker's advice and call on a certain acquaintance, given the type of case that she had. Then she dismissed the idea; she and Jim were perfectly capable of handling a simple undercover operation.

* * *

It was a typical evening in the Nebicher household. Walter, a wiry man with wavy black hair that was going grey, was seated next to his wife Roxanne in front of the television. But she wasn't really interested in the program as she snuggled up to him affectionately, her long grey-streaked blonde hair cascading down her shoulders in rivulets. Walter smiled, thinking that despite their tough careers as police officers, she was still as beautiful as she was when they had met twenty years ago.

Their sons, twelve-year-old Jack and eleven-year-old Matthew, were romping around in the basement, most likely playing video games. They had never been told about a special game that Walter had created, because of some risks involved. But unbeknownst to their parents, the boys had stumbled upon it - or rather, the game had made itself known to them.

Walter wouldn't have known this if it hadn't been for an overheard conversation about their latest session on Halo. He went down into the basement after hearing agitated shouts followed by cheers, wondering what all the fuss was about.

"That last level was NUTS, we're lucky that he showed up when he did," Matt was saying, "or else we would've been toast."

Jack laughed. "Yeah, even though he didn't stick around long this time. Wish I knew who it was. None of the guys I know have any idea who it is. He could be anyone."

"What's this?" Walter asked, confronting them. "Are you playing online with someone you don't know?"

Jack hesitated. "Not exactly. There's this blue guy named Automan that plays from time to time and shows us the best way through a level. He's a big help."

"Automan?" Walter was flabbergasted. "Automan is playing Halo?"

"Uh, you know him, Dad?" Matt asked.

"Know him?" Walter sighed, his anger dissipating for the moment. He hadn't wanted it to happen this way, but the time had come to finally introduce his sons by birth to the son that he had created almost twenty years ago. "Boys, Automan isn't an online character. He's a game, a hologram with an artificial intelligence that I created years ago to help me with police work." He crossed the room to turn on the master switch for the house's generator, then went to his computer and brought up a command window. "I never told you because I didn't want to take the chance of the wrong people finding out who he is."

"A police game," Jack said sceptically, "that thinks?"

"Oh, it's much more than that. I'll show you." He began to type.

AUTOMAN

ENTER ACCESS CODE:

CRIMEFIGHTER

ACCESS AUTHORIZED

The room shivered slightly, and the generator outside revved up in response to the increase in power load. After a few seconds, a bright multi-faceted ball of light emerged from the computer screen. "Hello, Cursor!" Walter greeted it with a smile. It twittered at him, then streaked to an open space and spiralled downward toward the floor. The boys stared in wonder, as in that space appeared a tall handsome man with short blond hair parted to the right, wearing blue grid-like armour that shone with the light of hundreds of tiny stars.

"Hello, Walter," he said in his rich baritone voice. "Hello, Jack and Matthew. I hope the remainder of your game went well."

As his sons stared, Walter rounded on Automan. "I hear you've been playing Halo," he said with annoyance. "Since when?"

"For some time now," Auto replied, unruffled. "I wanted to develop some new friendships and resources. When I noticed that your sons were having trouble I decided to help them once in a while."

"And you didn't think to clear this with me?"

"I didn't think I had to," Auto protested. "Besides, I didn't know when you were going to introduce me in the flesh, so to speak. They are your sons, after all."

Walter scowled, and then lifted his hands with a short laugh. "I can never stay mad at you. All right." He turned to the boys. "Jack, Matthew; this is Automan. He's a fully realized hologram, designed to observe others and mimic their skills to the best of their ability." Auto held out his hand with a smile.

"Are you serious?" Matt asked, wide-eyed.

"He can't be real," objected Jack.

"Oh, but I am," Auto assured them. "I'm as real as you are."

Reluctantly, Jack took the proffered hand and received a brief static shock. But the hand was as solid and real as anyone else's.

Suddenly, the door to the basement opened and Roxanne called down. "Wally? Sorry to disturb you, but there was a call for you from headquarters. Something major is happening and they want you there. And boys, it's time for bed, now!"

Auto grinned. "Is it time to go to work?"

Walter flashed him the familiar enthusiastic smile from his youth. "Sure, Auto. But first..?" He indicated the glowing body.

"Of course." He stood at his full height. "Cursor!" he commanded, and the hovering sphere whirled around him to create his usual dark business suit. Then he clicked his tongue and pointed one finger at the speechless boys before he followed Walter up the stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

Automan and all character names therein are owned by the American Broadcasting Company. All characters are fictional and resemblance to any persons living or dead is coincidental. No copyright infringement is intended.

Automan: Overclocked

By Sailor Chronos

Chapter 2

Two security guards rounded the corner of a warehouse in the port district for the umpteenth time. One of them, a middle-aged man with a short greying beard, looked haggard. The other, a slim woman with chestnut shoulder-length hair, was alert and cautious.

"Lina, tell me why we're here again?" her partner complained.

She sighed. "I know you're tired, Jim, but we just have to stick around until the shipment arrives and make sure it's handled properly. This electronics firm doesn't want to have their new equipment vanish like so many others have."

So far everything had seemed to be in order. Then they heard a truck approach, and together they rushed to the front of the building. There they witnessed two well-dressed men get out of a nearby car, and they spoke to the truck driver, who parked the vehicle and waited.

"Are they company execs?" asked Jim.

"I'm not sure," Lina said. "It doesn't look like they ought to have any business here at this time of the night. We should talk to them." As they approached, one of the men looked nervous, but the other said something in his ear and he quieted.

"Good evening, gentlemen," Lina said. "We weren't informed that company men were going to take delivery tonight."

The man on the left smiled. "It's not usual procedure, but tonight we're supervising things ourselves, given all the trouble that there's been around here. You two can take a break, everything's under control."

Jim nudged her quickly, and she looked past the men to see what he had spotted: the truck driver and another, heavier-set man were using a forklift to load crates from the truck to a smaller unmarked cube van, and not into the warehouse where the equipment was supposed to go. "Thank you sir," Jim said, "It has been a long shift. But first could we please see your waybill? Just a formality, you understand. Then you can go about your business."

It happened so quickly. Instead of a document, one of the men produced a gun and shot Jim in the shoulder. As Jim fell, Lina kicked the gun out of the shooter's hand and then tripped him up with a leg sweep, and he hit his head on the pavement and was still. The other man pulled out his own weapon, only to be shot in the arm by Jim. He grabbed his injured arm and ran, shouting to the other two men, who abandoned their efforts and ran off.

"Call for backup," Jim said, wincing. "I'll be okay; go!"

Lina chased after the fleeing men, activating her radio at the same time. She knew she was taking chances, but she had to do this or the entire night's work would have been for nothing. Maybe Lt. Baker would even give her some proper recognition if she pulled this off.

* * *

For what had to be the thousandth time, Walter was thrown against the passenger window of the Autocar as it made one of its 90-degree turns. He had long passed the stage where he would complain, but this time he said, "I wish you wouldn't do that," for old times' sake.

Auto smiled in amusement and then commented, "You should take some advice from Lina. She's quite comfortable riding with me."

Walter stared at his friend. "What? You mean she's not tossed around like that? That's unbelievable, Auto! Every person who's ever been in one of your vehicles was affected by the motion!"

"She was affected at first. But gradually she learned how to synchronize with my energy field."

It had to be true, Walter thought, because Automan was programmed to be completely honest. "What's so special about her that she can do what I can't?" he asked, feeling put out. "I doubt we could attribute it to her age, since I created you when I was younger than she is now."

"That has nothing to do with it," said Auto. "I only suggested that she be open-minded about the possibilities of my dimension."

Walter made a mental note to talk to Lina about this in more detail at some point. "On to business," he said. "When I met with the captain he told me to assist with an investigation on thefts of high-end electronics at the harbour. The shipments are logged on arrival here, but then they disappear and never get to their final destination. It's costing a number of companies and retailers lots of money."

"Nothing ever truly disappears if there is a record of it somewhere. If whoever receives those shipments makes any computerized confirmation, the items can be traced."

"Yes, but people who don't want things to be traced don't make notes," Walter pointed out. Then he continued, "There's a shipment due in tonight at Seaside Pier. Let's tune in to the police radio frequency and find out if there's anything happening down there."

Automan nodded and the pressed a button on the dashboard. For a brief time they listened to various communications between units in the area but it was regular chatter for the most part.

Suddenly there was a loud broadcast: "This is Unit 9409 requesting backup at Wharf Street and Seaside Avenue. Officer down! I'm in pursuit of three suspects, armed and dangerous!"

"Walter, that's Lina's number," Automan said, worried.

"Is she crazy?" Walter cried. "Going after armed men alone? You've got to get us there, Auto!"

"Hold on." With a determined expression, Auto accelerated to the limit that he knew Walter would be able to take without being injured. "This isn't the first time that she has done something foolhardy, but I don't understand why she would take such a risk."

"Neither do I," said Walter, shaking his head with frustration. "Come on, Lina, don't get yourself killed."

* * *

Lina pursued the three fleeing men down the pier, wondering why they were headed that way, since the road lay behind them and they were surrounded on three sides by water. Then she didn't have time to think any further when she saw them scramble onto a mid-sized cruising boat and cast off. Their desperate movements told her that this hadn't been their original plan, but a backup in case something went wrong.

As the engine started up and the boat pulled away from the pier, she sprinted and took a running leap onto the stern, barely keeping her feet as she landed. Then she dropped into a crouch to reduce her visibility. Fortunately for her, all three men were now crowded into the front of the cabin, and they had been so focused on their escape that they hadn't felt the extra weight landing on the boat. Their inattention gave her the opportunity to peek over the stern and note the registration number.

Now the men appeared to relax and begin to talk, but she couldn't hear any of their conversation above the roar of the engine behind her. It was just as well; they wouldn't be able to hear her either. She glanced from one man to the other, trying to pick out details that would help her identify them later.

The big problem was that even with a black belt in Aikido, the space was far too small for her to fight all of them effectively. Plus they were armed. Even though one of the men was already injured, she feared that she would end up having to shoot another to protect herself. They would be of no use to anyone if they were dead. So she decided that the best course of action was to wait for one of them to emerge from the cabin, and she would subdue him.

Within a few minutes, her patience was rewarded: the larger-built member of the trio ducked out of the cabin with a cigarette in his hand. In a flash she rose and planted a kick in his stomach, stunning him, but he didn't drop. She aimed another kick at his back, but at that moment the boat hit a wave and she became unbalanced, so was unable to complete it.

Seeing the movement outside, the taller man exited the cabin. "We've got ourselves a stowaway!" he hollered. Hearing the yell, the man piloting the boat pulled back the throttle and Lina lost her footing, slipping to her knees. The next moment she found herself staring down the barrel of a gun.

The large man grabbed her by the shoulders and hauled her to her feet. "What do you want to do with her, sir?" he asked the other. "Kill her now or toss her?"

"I don't see the point of wasting good bullets on someone so foolish," the tall man said. "We're far enough out that she'll never make it back."

Lina tried to duck away, but the man grabbed her in a bear hug and hauled her to the side. "Nothing personal," he said. "Say hello to the sharks for us." Despite her struggles, he managed to lift her up and dump her over the safety railing and into the water. Almost immediately the boat's engine started up again and it peeled away.

She surfaced and shook water from her hair, chastising herself for thinking that she could have overcome all three men on her own. Now she was in a big fix. The water was chilly; the temperature was about 62F at this time of year, so unless she could get to shore soon, the risk of hypothermia was high. The harbour lights were clearly visible, but she had no way of knowing how far out she was, or whether she was being pulled around by the currents or the tide.

Resolutely she kicked her shoes off and began to swim in the direction of the lights. She at least had to try.


	3. Chapter 3

Automan and all character names therein are owned by the American Broadcasting Company. All characters are fictional and resemblance to any persons living or dead is coincidental. No copyright infringement is intended.

Automan: Overclocked

By Sailor Chronos

Chapter 3

The black Lamborghini Countach with glowing blue piping came to an abrupt stop near the group of police cruisers on the pier. Walter and Auto emerged and approached one of the officers. "Lt. Nebicher, and Agent Mann, federal computer crimes unit," Walter said, showing his badge. "We heard that a theft of some specialized electronics was underway here."

"Two undercover officers surprised the suspects," the man said. "One of the officers was shot, but he'll live. He said that his partner called for backup and jumped onto the boat that the suspects used to make their getaway. We haven't heard anything from her since then." The man sighed with apprehension. "If they found her, they could have done anything from shooting her to throwing her overboard. Either way she's most likely dead by now."

That was an eventuality that Auto was not going to accept. He set his lips in a grim scowl. "We'll find her," he said.

"You go ahead, Agent Mann," Walter said. "I'll handle things here." Auto nodded and hurried back to the car.

"We've a search-and-rescue squad on the way," the officer called after Auto, "but the tide is going out. It doesn't look good."

Auto settled into the car and pulled away.

The officer turned to Walter with a questioning look. "How is he going to find her while driving a car?" Walter just shrugged.

As soon as Auto turned out of sight he sent a mental command to Cursor, who instantly transformed the car into a helicopter. Ascending quickly he headed past the breakwater and out to sea.

Cursor twittered at him. "I know that our power is limited out here, but we must find Lina. Assuming she is alive, there's very little time before she becomes hypothermic and drowns. Let's trace her radio signal." A small readout popped up and indicated that her radio had been active up until a few minutes ago, which told him that it probably had either become wet and shorted out or discharged and turned itself off.

He noted where the last signal had been and calculated a course based on a human's average swimming speed, the area's currents, and tide motion. The chopper's bright searchlight panned over the waves, and Auto hoped that he would reach Lina in time.

* * *

It had felt like hours, but she figured that in reality she had only been in the water for about fifteen minutes. Her arms were leaden and she was beginning to shiver. Flipping onto her back, she floated for a moment, trying to conserve energy. The harbour lights didn't seem to be getting any closer, which meant that the tide was ebbing and it would be impossible for her to outswim it. Her only chance would be if she happened to float near a navigational marker and if she had the strength hold onto it long enough to be spotted. It didn't look good.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to the night sky.

Suddenly in the distance she could hear a low-pitched thrumming, and it was getting louder! A boat? No, a helicopter! She righted herself and began to tread water, waving toward the oncoming spotlight.

Within moments, the helicopter was hovering overhead, its light shining down on her. Then it gradually settled, and as it descended she saw that it was black with glowing blue stripes along its length. This wasn't just any helicopter, it was the Autochopper. Automan, her knight in shining blue armour, had found her!

The chopper's skids touched the surface of the water - and abruptly it transformed into a sleek 24-foot cabin cruiser with the standard blue piping. It took the last of her strength to swim the few yards to it, and then she was lifted into the boat by a pair of strong arms.

"Auto, I'm so glad to see you!" she said breathlessly as she half-sat, half-fell into a seat. "Thank you."

"And I am glad that I found you," Automan said with obvious relief as he bundled her up in a blanket, also Cursor-made. "Your vitals are stable and you don't appear to be hypothermic. You'll be all right once you get warm. We must hurry back before my power fails." He sat in the pilot seat and opened the throttle, and the boat's powerful engine roared as they headed back toward the harbour.

Like Cursor's other vehicular creations, the craft was unaffected by the ambient environment; the ride was as smooth as if the water was completely calm, and it left very little wake. Lina was impressed with Cursor's versatility, and even more so when they arrived at the harbour marina in far less time than a regular boat could have.

Auto cut the engine and slid the boat expertly up to an available dock, and then helped Lina unwind herself from the blanket so she could disembark. "I'm sorry, but I must be leaving you now," he said. "I need to recharge."

"I'm sorry too, Auto," she responded. "I shouldn't have gone without you. But I thought that I could prove myself capable to handle things on my own."

"You don't need to prove anything to me," he said gently. "See you later." He faded away and the boat de-rezzed.

She managed to walk out to the lane before her legs buckled and she fell into a heap. Fortunately she was spotted by one of the police officers who were still patrolling the area, and he quickly summoned some of his comrades to help her into a warm squad car.

* * *

The next morning, Lt. Baker gave her a telling-off that she was sure the whole floor could hear. "Of all the stupid stunts you've pulled, Baines, this one has to be the topper!" he hollered. "What on Earth possessed you to go after those crooks alone? You're lucky that Agent Mann showed up when he did, or you'd have been fish food!"

"I'm sorry sir," she said contritely. "At the time I thought that I would be able to handle things. Jim was certainly in no shape to assist."

"You should have stayed with your partner, not gone chasing off after three armed thieves! Don't start," he pointed at her when she tried to interject. "Fine, you got the registration of the boat they were using, but it was traced to the name of a man who's been dead for two years. That's hardly any help."

"Sir," she said tightly, "I had to make a snap decision. My partner's life was not in immediate danger and backup was on the way. I saw a chance to identify the suspects and potentially curb their operation." She brandished a file folder. "Two of the men are known fencers of high-quality electronics. That alone should-"

He snatched the folder away. "I'll have someone look into it."

"Someone?" she spouted angrily. "This is my case!"

"Not any more, I'm taking you off it," Lt. Baker said in a tone that brooked no contradiction. "While your diligence is appreciated, you haven't taken any proper time off for years. It's affecting your judgment and causing you to take too many risks. I'm tired of bailing you out to the captain every time." He sighed. "Look, take a week, go up to that cabin of yours and relax. If Agent Mann comes in I'll tell him that you're on stress leave." He stepped around his desk and put his hands on her shoulders. "I'm not just your boss; I'm trying to be your friend here. Take my advice and go, please."

"Guess I don't have a choice," she said, resigned, and then she glared at him as she realized something. "Would the situation have been any different if I had been male?"

"What? Is that what this was all about?" he asked, incredulous. "Thinking you're better than the other guys? Baines, there's no place on this force for anyone who's out to prove something. Our job is to protect the public, in case you've forgotten that oath you took. Use your vacation time to think about that."


	4. Chapter 4

Automan and all character names therein are owned by the American Broadcasting Company. All characters are fictional and resemblance to any persons living or dead is coincidental. No copyright infringement is intended.

Automan: Overclocked

By Sailor Chronos

Chapter 4

In an old brick building that had once housed a factory, three men were gathered around a table discussing the events of the previous evening. The tall man with short-cropped brown hair and glasses addressed his compatriots severely. "Given the interference of that police officer last night, it's vital that we implement our plan. Mr. MacDougal, do we have enough equipment to achieve it?"

"Yes, Mr. Logan," MacDougal responded, absent-mindedly stroking his rust-coloured beard. "However we only have enough circuits to power protective fields on your office and the main doors. We can't do much more without straining the electrical system in the building and potentially causing a fire."

"I still don't understand why we're going to this trouble," said the larger-set man. "This Agent Mann that we're after is just another cop, isn't he? Why do we need all these fancy electronics?"

"Mr. Argyle," said Logan with impatience. "MacDougal witnessed a marvellous display of holographic technology earlier this year. Agent Mann, as he calls himself, is a computer-generated construct that is programmed for law enforcement. With his skills we can access any records, anywhere, and use them to our advantage."

"Construct or not, he's still a cop," Argyle said stubbornly. "I doubt very much that he would oblige."

MacDougal said, "That's where the electronics come in. Agent Mann might look human, but his body is composed of electro-magnetic energy. Solids mean nothing to him: he could walk through that wall," he pointed across the room, "as easily as you or I walk through the air. The magnetic fields that we'll be setting up will prevent him from doing that."

"Once we have him contained," Logan continued, "we'll be able to move on to Phase Two. I hope that you two and the other staff aren't averse to doing what's necessary to ensure our target's cooperation."

"Don't worry, Mr. Logan," Argyle said. "We know what the stakes are with this. It had better work or we're all finished."

"It'll work," said MacDougal confidently.

Logan glared pointedly at him. "Make sure it does."

* * *

Lina spent several hours preparing for her sojourn. Her family's country house was a two-hour drive from the city, up in the mountains. In late November there would already be snow on the ground, so she had to pack carefully.

When she telephoned her mother to find out about the status of the place, she found out that her younger sister and family had been there a few weeks before. Not only had they neglected to make sure there was enough wood chopped for a long visit, but several of her niece's library books had been left behind and they were getting calls for late fees. She pledged to bring back the books, but also resolved to give her sister an earful when she got back.

The last thing she did before departing was to leave a voicemail for Walter, to tell him where she was going. Although Automan had implied earlier that he had wanted to speak to her, she was in no mood to deal with him or the tumult in her head right now. She just wanted to get out of the city quickly; besides, given the remoteness of the cabin it was essential to get there before nightfall.

The drive was uneventful, although a light drizzle became sleet and then snow as she neared her destination. She pulled into a small store on the edge of the town of Wrightwood; the family had known the proprietor for years and he always knew the condition of the dirt road up to the house. "You've got deep snow up there," he informed her. "And there's more on the way tonight. Best thing to do would be to park in the back lot here and take a snowmobile. Your ma, bless her, called to say you were coming, so I went up myself and broke trail."

"Bless you, Mr. Douglas," Lina said with affection. "That'll definitely help. I have to get in before dark so I can chop some lengths. That lazy Allison didn't do anything last month."

Mr. Douglas clicked his tongue. "In that case, if you can handle the sled too, I've got extra cordwood to tide you over. You got fuel?"

"Always." The place was heated with wood and lighted by propane lights. The only concession to electricity was a generator that pumped water from a deep well to a tank in the house. "What I have should last the week, but if it doesn't I'll pay you a visit."

The final leg of the trip was on a snowmobile with a sled attachment carrying her gear, the wood, and a five-gallon container of gasoline. She had to get off and push when she got mired in slush at one point, but the rest of the way was fairly straightforward thanks to the already-existing trail. Wind whistled through the trees and the snow was falling more thickly when she reached the cabin.

Stepping inside was like going back in time to her childhood. The interior hadn't changed in the years since she had been here. A large sparsely furnished room with a fireplace at one end, a stove at the other and windows overlooking the hillside served as a family area. At the back there was a step-up to two bedrooms; one was her parents' and the other had once been shared by her and her sister.

She parked the snowmobile behind the house and covered it with a tarpaulin that was kept for that purpose. It would make it easier to dig it out later. Quickly she then set about bringing in her gear, fuelling up the generator which stood in a small shed a few yards away from the main house, and kindling a fire. If the snow was going to get worse overnight, she needed to be prepared.

* * *

The air in the townhouse's sitting room shimmered and a tall figure made of blue starlight appeared. "Lina?" Automan called, his baritone voice resonating throughout the house. "She doesn't seem to be here." Cursor, his ever-present companion, burbled at him and he nodded. "Good idea, let's call her division." He picked up the phone and Cursor connected the line.

"Baker here," said a gruff voice.

"Good afternoon, Lieutenant, this is Federal Agent Mann," Automan said. "I'd like to reach Officer Baines, to remind her that we had a meeting scheduled today concerning her latest case."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, sir," said Lt. Baker, "but she isn't here. She was placed on stress leave this morning and I suggested that she take a vacation. Most likely she's up at her family's country house by now."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. Good day." He hung up the phone and glanced at Cursor worriedly. "This isn't like her, just going off somewhere without telling anyone." Picking up the phone again, he requested, "Cursor, patch into Walter's voicemail. Perhaps she left him a message." Again Cursor tapped into the phone circuits.

"Hello Walter, it's Lina. Bad news, I've been removed from the case and ordered to take time off. I'm going to the cabin; you remember the one, near Wrightwood. If there's an emergency and someone needs to get a hold of me, you can call Mr. Andrew Douglas at the Four Ways convenience store because there's only spotty cell reception up there." She gave a phone number. "I'll be back in a week. Tell the family hello for me."

Auto replaced the phone. "Come, Cursor. We can find the cabin's location in the state property records. She shouldn't be alone while in the mental state she's in right now." When Cursor started to dance around him he said, "Don't be ridiculous, I'm concerned about her, that's all." More twittering. "That's your opinion. Let's go." He stood up to his full height and faded away, Cursor following.


	5. Chapter 5

Automan and all character names therein are owned by the American Broadcasting Company. All characters are fictional and resemblance to any persons living or dead is coincidental. No copyright infringement is intended.

Automan: Overclocked

By Sailor Chronos

Chapter 5

It was starting to get dark and snow was falling thickly by the time Lina had taken care of the essentials: she had organized her supplies, stacked up the wood, and lit the pilots for the propane. Soon the house would be warm enough to pump the water in; she wanted to have some hot chocolate.

She was relaxing with a steaming cup in her hand, listening to a playlist of holiday music on her laptop computer (she needed to have SOME connection to the outside world) when she heard something outside. Suspicious, she put the cup down and edged toward the door. Could Mr. Douglas have come up to check on her? She hadn't heard a snowmobile approach.

There was a knock at the door, and immediately following it, a bright spherical object phased through the wood and twittered at her. "Cursor!" she exclaimed. If Cursor was here, then... she opened the door to see a familiar figure standing on the threshold, clad in grey pants, winter boots, and a parka. "Automan?" she asked, stunned. Ushering him inside she continued, "How can you be up here?"

He smiled. "Lt. Baker told me that you were here. I simply used state records to find the location of the property."

Lina grimaced; he had taken her question literally. She waved upward, "I meant there's no electricity here."

"Oh, I charged up using the transformer at the end of the road," he said almost casually. "I can remain for a short time." He removed his parka; under it he wore a white turtleneck sweater and a grey blazer. When he tossed the parka aside, Cursor de-rezzed it. Then he walked forward and clasped Lina's shoulder briefly. "I came because I thought you shouldn't be alone, given the circumstances."

"That's kind of you, Auto, and it was a very human thing to do," she said appreciatively, "but unnecessary. Baker was right. I had been acting foolishly, and was becoming a danger to myself as well as others." She sighed, and then shrugged. "It's just as well that I came here, I have many fond memories of this place and I need to relax. But you," she pointed at his chest, "should get back to your partner, shouldn't you? You're on a case."

Auto arched his eyebrows. "Walter is my partner, and my friend, but he said earlier that he didn't need my help this evening. He has his life, so shouldn't I be able to have my own life too?"

She was dumbfounded at Auto's statement and couldn't think of a reply. Instead she gazed out the window at the snow falling outside, thickening the already existing blanket of white on the trees, blurring the lights of the ski resort on the other side of the valley. In Los Angeles it would be pouring with rain. Here, the smog and bustle of the city seemed so far away. The laptop started to play Howard Blake's Walking in the Air, and the song made tears come to her eyes.

"Why are you crying?" Auto asked, concern in his voice. "You said this place made you happy." He put his arm around her shoulders to comfort her.

"It does. It's just this song," she said, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. At Auto's quizzical look, she explained. "This is the signature music from a holiday TV special called The Snowman. A boy builds a snowman on Christmas Eve, and it comes to life and flies him away on a magical journey. The next morning when he wakes up, the snowman has melted." She turned to face him. "Reminds me of you, I guess. You can't stay around all the time."

He smiled a bit sadly. "Not without a reliable power source."

"And this place is totally off the grid; as you know the nearest power line is half a mile away. Even with the generator running, you won't be able to stay for more than a couple of hours."

"Then let's take advantage of the time we have," he said reasonably. "Why did you really come here? It wasn't just because you were ordered to."

"No," she admitted, unable to lie to him. "I wanted a break from things, and to think about my future. Since I met Walter and you, my life was focused on being a police officer and helping others. I didn't take much time for myself." She laughed mirthlessly. "Allison, my sister, keeps calling me a workaholic, although she has a job AND two kids. Every time I speak to my mother she tells me that I'd better hurry up and have a family before I get too old; I am 34 after all."

"The female reproductive system begins to decline in efficiency between the ages of 35 and 40," said Auto, and when she glanced at him in surprise, he added, "I've been reading a variety of subjects online to broaden my understanding of human emotion. Walter never wanted to discuss it."

"Perhaps he was too embarrassed about it," she theorized, gently disengaging from his hold and pacing around the room. For some reason she suddenly felt nervous because Auto was no longer innocent with regard to this topic. "Or he didn't want such things to distract you from crime-fighting."

"That's what I thought as well, until a few months ago when you reminded me of the time that I believed I was in love. It made me realize that the only perspective I had was a series of soap operas, when the reality is so much more complex. Biology of the human brain, biology of sexuality, cultural aspects; it's all so fascinating. Did you know how many definitions there are of the word love?"

Lina smiled. "That doesn't surprise me. But there's a saying that you shouldn't believe everything you read on the Internet. There's just about as much misinformation as there is truth."

"I'm aware of that." He stepped toward her and grasped her shoulder once again. "However it was not just for me that I wanted to learn about it. Lately you haven't been quite yourself. It's not just the bravado and risk-taking; your blood pressure and heart rate are up, and you've been having mood swings. Did you think I wouldn't notice?"

She tried to pull away but couldn't; his grip was strong although gentle enough to not hurt her. "Little gets past you, doesn't it?" With a sigh she looked out the window again, her breath misting the glass. "I never liked to talk about my feelings with anyone, not even my mother. A police officer is supposed to have an unassailable personality." After a pause she finally decided to air her concern. If she couldn't confide in Automan, who was one of her best friends, who could she confide in? "I've had a few relationships in the past, but none of them worked out long-term. I was too committed to my job, or so I thought. The truth is..." She stopped as she just realized it herself. "I was waiting - consciously or subconsciously - for someone I already had feelings for, whom until recently was unavailable."

Auto too gazed outside, his perfect blue eyes reflecting in the window, and he remembered. An overheard conversation between an intern and a secretary: "That federal agent that Officer Nebicher works with sometimes is so cute!" An exhortation from a friend to resist his own destruction: "You are a self-aware, thinking, living entity who has friends who care about you! You have a soul." The same friend lying helpless, having been almost electrocuted: "I guess we're even now, right?" Something blossomed inside him, something that fit everything that he had been reading and experiencing, and yet was indefinable.

"Lina-"

"Auto-"

They had turned to each other at the same time. There was a moment of awkward silence. A log snapped in the fireplace, creating a small shower of embers.

"It would never work," said Automan with regret. "We're from two different worlds."

"Shouldn't you let me decide that?" Lina asked.

"I can only exist in your world for a relatively short time," he reminded her. "And you couldn't exist in my world for long."

She gave a short laugh. "I'm sure something similar has been said when folks of two different skin colours or religious beliefs had a relationship." She held his hand, ignoring the shock. "We could find a middle ground. Technology is available that can enable you to remain longer. And I can accept that you can't be here 24/7."

"Even so, being a hologram, there are some things that I can't do," he said, releasing her hand and stepping away. "I can't father children. I don't age. I couldn't be everything that you would want from someone in a relationship."

Lina caught her breath, feeling like her heart was being squeezed mercilessly. He was right, of course, but she couldn't let it go; she had cared about him for so long. She threw some of his own words back at him: "You can observe other people, and do whatever they can do as well as they can do it. You can't say that you can't love. The rest comes with time."

For a moment he didn't speak, considering what she had said. He cared for her, and against all reason he did want to experience a romantic relationship with her. Of all the people he had known, Lina had been the only one other than Walter to truly accept who he was. "'Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.' Aristotle." he quoted softly, and then slowly faced her again with a hopeful expression on his face. "Please teach me."

The simple entreaty brought tears to her eyes once more and she stepped forward into his embrace, standing on her toes to capture his lips with her own. There was no shock this time. In the back of her mind she willed him to hear her heartbeat, to feel her pulse singing.

Earnestly he returned her kiss. Through it he felt her living warmth, her willingness, and the changes in her metabolism. He had kissed women before in the course of doing his job or in response to overtures; only once had it been completely of his own volition. This was totally different. This encompassing energy, this feeling of synchronicity with another person: was this what it felt like to love?

When they broke the kiss, his eyes met hers. Quickly she put a finger to his lips, stifling the question that she was sure he was about to ask concerning the physiological changes in her. Then she slipped his blazer off his shoulders, lightly pulled the hem of his sweater, sighing quietly when she recalled what was beneath it.

Auto silently indicated that she should close her eyes, and she did so, absolutely trusting him. A few seconds later he stroked her cheek with his hand, and she opened her eyes to see a bare torso made not of an electro-magnetic field of blue starlight, but of flesh - the perfect male. Gingerly she reached toward him, afraid that he would vanish or be immaterial, but her hands met his chest and stayed. He felt warm, real, and human.

With a wondering smile, she guided him to sit down with her on the rug in front of the fireplace.

* * *

Lina woke in her bed to the misty grey of dawn, and silence. The generator outside had long ago run out of fuel and shut down. She stretched, feeling replete, and then quickly snuggled back under the blankets as the air was chilly. The fire needed to be tended. In the old days her father would be out chopping wood, her mother would be clattering pots on the stove...

Then she wept at the knowledge that she was alone. Had she dreamt of Automan being here last night? Was she so love-sick that her mind was playing tricks on her?

No, it had all been real. The previous evening had seen desires fulfilled and questions answered with hardly a word having been spoken. The experience was as real as the note that she found on the table when she finally braved the cold to get up and put more wood on the fire.

"Lina, thank you. We will see each other soon. Love, Auto."

Despite his promise, she didn't see him the next evening. It didn't worry her; most likely he either was busy with the electronics theft case with Walter, or he couldn't access enough power to rez up here because the nearby ski resort had gone into full operation with the new snowfall. But the memory of his visit kept her smiling and actually looking forward to returning to the city.


	6. Chapter 6

Automan and all character names therein are owned by the American Broadcasting Company. All characters are fictional and resemblance to any persons living or dead is coincidental. No copyright infringement is intended.

Automan: Overclocked

By Sailor Chronos

Chapter 6

The Autocar glided along the streets, weaving in and out of traffic in pursuit of the blue Pontiac that had been reported as being a getaway vehicle in another electronics heist. "I sure hope we can catch them this time," Walter said from the passenger seat. "At the very least, they've got charges of attempted murder of police officers coming to them."

"I will try," said Auto, concentrating on the road ahead. "But the traffic is much heavier than usual this evening. The longer we pursue them it increases the likelihood of an accident. Even though we can't hit anything, they can."

"I know," said Walter, watching their quarry closely. Suddenly the blue car braked hard and turned off the thoroughfare, and the Autocar followed. After a few more turns they ended up on a narrow lane and Walter became puzzled. "Why are they going this way? Do they have a hideout around here?"

"There's only one way to find out." Auto slowed as the car ahead slowed as well. Then suddenly he perceived a subtle flicker of something that spanned the roadway. "What-?" he exclaimed, and hit the brakes.

Walter saw nothing in front of them. However the front of the car began to de-rez as if there was an invisible line across the road, on the other side of which the car couldn't exist. He was flung out of his seat and through the no-longer-solid dashboard, and fell heavily to the pavement.

Automan's body on the other hand impacted on what felt like a solid wall, and he cried out in agony as the remainder of the car shimmered out of existence. He crumpled to the ground on his back. The only other time he had felt like this was back in 1984 when he and Walter had been trapped by an assassin intent on killing them... and he realized that these criminals had done something similar by rigging an electro-magnetic field across the road. "Walter?" he called in a strained voice as he tried to rise. But his partner was unmoving; unconscious and possibly hurt badly.

"Don't you worry about your friend," said a gruff voice, and Auto looked up to see the large form of a man that he recognized from the police reports as Terence Argyle. "You come with us, 'Agent Mann', and we'll see to it that he stays alive. If you try to escape, or disappear, or whatever it is that you do, then he's a dead man." He waved his hand, and two other men came forward and lifted Walter up.

It was obvious that these men knew what he was and at least some of his capabilities. He had no choice but to capitulate, since he didn't want to risk Walter's life. What he could do, however, was get help. He mentally instructed Cursor to discreetly alert Lina and Roxanne. They would do what was necessary.

* * *

Lina had stoked the fire for the night and was about to go to sleep when her cellphone rang, startling her. Reception here at the cabin was unreliable at best, but she still kept the phone handy just in case. When she picked up the phone, a text message displayed: AUTOMAN IN TROUBLE, COME QUICKLY. CURSOR.

Despite the warmth, her body froze. What had happened? It was very rare that Walter and Auto got into a situation that they couldn't handle, which meant things had to be bad if Cursor was summoning her during her time off. Despite having been ordered to stay off the beat for a week, she couldn't ignore this. If anything happened to Auto... she pushed the thought aside and focused on what needed to be done.

Hurriedly she dressed and gathered up the few things she would need, intending to return and deal with the rest as soon as possible. Then she doused the fire, closed up the cabin, and rode her snowmobile along the dark trail through the woods toward town. Once she reached her car it would take close to two hours for her to drive back into Los Angeles, and she desperately hoped that nothing would happen to either Auto or Walter before then.

* * *

Roxanne was catching up on some mind-numbing clerical work in her home office when the floor trembled slightly and the lights dimmed. She knew well what this heralded, and was glad that the boys were staying over at a friend's house and wouldn't witness it. Cursor emerged from the screen, twittered briefly, then returned to the computer and wrote out a message.

"Walter and Automan have been captured and are being held at an old factory on the edge of Boyle Heights. Their captors know what Automan is and have measures to contain him. Please hurry." He then typed an address.

"Got it," she said. "Thanks Cursor, I'll be there as soon as I can." Grabbing her cellphone and keys, she headed out. This scared her; memories of Walter in the hospital recovering from a gunshot wound were never far from her mind, even after all these years. "Oh Wally, what have you and Automan gotten into now?"

* * *

Argyle led Automan into a large brick building and ascended two flights of stairs to a well-appointed office. The slender brown-haired man sitting behind the desk turned as they approached. "Thank you, Mr. Argyle. Please leave us." He waited until the man left before speaking again. "Welcome, Agent Mann. I must apologize for using such methods to ensure your presence, but would you have listened to what I have to say if my men had asked nicely?"

"I believe you know the answer to that, Mr. Logan," Auto replied sternly, also knowing him from the reports he had read. "Where is Lieutenant Nebicher?" The question was for appearances, since he could sense that Walter was also in the building, and alive. But he needed to find out more about this operation and stall for time.

"Your partner is quite safe, as long as you do as you're told." Logan rose and began to walk around the room. "I understand that you are considered an expert in computers, by virtue of the fact that your appearance is generated by them. One of my colleagues happened to see the holographic performance at the E3 trade show last summer."

Auto recalled that at the time he had mentioned that he was a hologram, but he hadn't shown any of his abilities. However, even that knowledge had already been exploited to devastating effect. He had to take care to not show Logan any more than necessary. "If that's true, then you would also know that I don't take orders from anybody."

Logan lifted a finger. "Ah, but you have a strong connection to Nebicher that allows him to influence you. If I had to guess, I would say that he's your best friend as well as your police partner. That gives me the advantage."

Unfortunately Logan was correct. "What is it that you want? If you are expecting me to engage in criminal activity on your behalf, that is impossible. I help enforce the law, not break it."

Now Logan's calm expression changed to one of malice. "You will if you want to see your friend alive again," he threatened. "While all men fear death, as a hologram you are nearly indestructible, which negates that weakness. However, like all men with some semblance of feeling, you are not above being manipulated." He activated a speaker-phone. "Mr. Argyle, please give our guest a small demonstration."

Walter's voice sounded on the speaker. "Agent Mann, don't worry about me! Don't do what they want!" There was a low-pitched hiss in the background: the sound of something hot being applied to human flesh. Walter yelled in pain.

His eyes blazing with fury, Auto walked up to Logan and grabbed the front of his jacket, lifting him off the floor. "Desist. Now."

The man smirked. "Harm me and Nebicher dies. It's that simple."

Logan was not lying. Seeing no alternative, Auto put him down. "What do you need me for that you can't have anyone else do?"

"First, some... corrections shall we say, of certain government records. Even my best hacker can't access the federal data banks, but you can." He indicated that Auto should sit down at the computer on his desk. "Oh, and don't think about escaping, since there now is a magnetic field protecting this room. Get started."


	7. Chapter 7

Automan and all character names therein are owned by the American Broadcasting Company. All characters are fictional and resemblance to any persons living or dead is coincidental. No copyright infringement is intended.

Automan: Overclocked

By Sailor Chronos

Chapter 7

Mr. Douglas was roused out of his apartment above the store by the sound of a snowmobile approaching, and was very surprised to see Lina arrive. He opened the door and called out, "What brings you here at this hour? Is there a problem at the house?"

"No," she called back as she tossed a backpack into the trunk of her car and proceeded to brush the snow off it. "I got an emergency call from work. I have to go back to L.A. but I'll be coming back here as soon as things settle down." She waved at him.

"Fine then, I'll keep an eye out for you." He went back inside.

She was about to start up the car when her phone rang again. This time when she answered it, the lights along the road flickered for a moment as the connection went through. Suddenly Cursor emerged from the phone, startling her. "Cursor? What are you doing here? I didn't know you could do that!" The flashing sphere danced around her, burbling quickly. She didn't understand what he was saying, but could see the urgency. "I'm on my way right now!"

Cursor dove back into the phone and typed a message. "No time. Ride with me." He exited the phone and hovered in front of her.

Slowly she got out of her car and locked it, hardly believing what Cursor had written. As far as she knew, even though Cursor had a mind of his own, nobody other than Auto had ever commanded his actions. The emergency had to be dire indeed if he was implying that she should select the vehicle. While the Autocar was fast, it would be more expedient to move by air. She tucked her phone safely in a pocket and ordered, "Cursor, rez up the Autochopper!"

At once Cursor flew to the road and drew into solidity the black copter with blue piping, its rotor blades already turning. She ran to it, opened the door and settled in the pilot's seat, taking a moment to admire the futuristic interior. "There's one problem: I don't know how to fly," she said as she closed and latched the door beside her.

A display lit up with the words, "I will fly."

"All right," she said, and relaxed into Cursor's dimension as the chopper took off on its own.

Mr. Douglas poked his head out the door again, his jaw dropping in amazement as he saw a helicopter that hadn't been there a moment ago ascend into the night sky.

* * *

Three squad cars pulled into a street a short distance away from the old factory building where Lt. Nebicher and Agent Mann were reported to be held. The first to emerge was Roxanne, who had taken charge of the operation herself. It had been her order to set up a command post out of sight of the building, since if the police made themselves known too soon, Walter's life could be endangered.

They'd hardly got organized when the low-pitched thrumming of a helicopter approached. It surprised her since she hadn't requested any air support. However when she saw the Autochopper glide down and land neatly in the next street she had to lean against a car so that her knees wouldn't give out. If Automan was indeed being held hostage, how could his helicopter be here?

A moment later someone came jogging around the corner, and Roxanne recognized Lina right away. Hovering behind her was a glowing sphere, and Roxanne heard her say to it, "Thank you, Cursor! Stay with me, please?" Cursor whizzed over to Lina and hid in her jacket pocket.

"How..." Roxanne couldn't find words at first as Lina reached her, and she pointed toward where the chopper had been. "Lina, I have _never_ seen Cursor do that without Automan! What's going on? You're supposed to be out of town!"

"I was until I got a message that Auto was in trouble. Cursor took it upon himself to bring me here. What do you know about the situation?"

Leaving her questions for later, Roxanne became all business and led Lina back to the other officers. "You know those thieves that you were tailing the other night? After the word came of the kidnapping I did a cross-check on the stolen electronics and I realized that a lot of them could have been used to set up an electro-magnetic field."

Something in her friend's voice told her that she had experienced this before. "They deliberately wanted Agent Mann for some reason," Lina concluded, using Auto's official name while in earshot of the others.

"Exactly. We can move through such fields easily enough." She didn't need to mention that Automan couldn't. "But of course anything electronic like a radio or cellphone would be shorted out if it passed through."

"Hmm. Which means anyone who goes into that building right now will risk being totally incommunicado depending on if and where any such fields are set up." Lina considered for a moment. "What we need is a look inside." She turned so that only Roxanne could see what she was about to do. "Cursor." He emerged from her pocket. "Scout the building, please. We need to know the layout, positions of the people inside, and if there are any magnetic fields active. And keep yourself out of sight, even from Auto. He might be put at risk if he knows that we're here. Go on." Cursor streaked away.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Roxanne asked, still astonished that Cursor was taking orders from Lina. "He's not exactly what I would call dependable."

"If you'll forgive me for saying so, you haven't seen him in action recently," Lina countered. "Besides, he knows what's at stake here. He doesn't want Auto or Walter hurt any more than we do."

Minutes later Cursor returned, and took the shape of a laptop computer that displayed a schematic of the three-storey building. There were two entrances, both guarded by a person and an energy field. One room on the first floor contained two people, one of whom was outlined in red and it had to be assumed this was Walter. A room on the far side of the second floor had another energy field running through all the walls and two people were inside, one outlined in bright blue: Automan. The third floor was unoccupied.

"Cursor, you're terrific," Lina whispered. A smiley face flashed on one corner of the screen.

"Let's plan our approach," said Roxanne, and called the other officers over. "We have four men in the building, presumably armed, plus two hostages. O'Toole and Cage, you cover the front door. Samuels and Kravitz, you take the back. Trotter, you're with me. We need to coordinate here carefully, since we might not be able to use radios inside. Once we're in we'll spring the hostage on the first floor." Then she turned to Lina.

"I suggest that we try to be inconspicuous at first," Lina said. "They might decide to kill the hostages once we start making noise. With the right equipment," she emphasized the words slightly, "I could access the roof and get in undetected. I'll send a signal when I'm in position and then I'll deal with the second-floor room while you take care of the rest."

Thus arranged, they all picked up their equipment and dispersed. The moment the humans turned their backs, the laptop transformed back into Cursor and he darted after Lina.


	8. Chapter 8

Automan and all character names therein are owned by the American Broadcasting Company. All characters are fictional and resemblance to any persons living or dead is coincidental. No copyright infringement is intended.

Automan: Overclocked

By Sailor Chronos

Chapter 8

Lina kept to the shadows as much as she could as she approached the old brick-walled factory. Unlike many other industrial buildings she had seen, this hadn't been fitted with outdoor security cameras, which would make her job much easier. "Cursor," she whispered. "Please create a rope ladder to the roof." Once the ladder was complete, she checked that her sidearm and the Kevlar vest that she had borrowed were secure, and then began to climb.

Once on the roof, she paused to let Cursor de-rez the ladder. "How are you for power?" she asked him. "You've already done a lot tonight." The sparkling polyhedron bobbed up and down a few times, and she understood that he was well enough. As long as Automan was active, Cursor would remain.

The roof door was secured with a push-button combination lock, but this was no problem for Cursor to open. The two moved down the stairwell to the second floor, when Lina stopped again. "I don't want to take a chance of meeting someone in the hallway and having him raise a shout. You disguise Automan all the time. Could you disguise me with the likeness of one of the men you noticed during your search?"

Once again Cursor indicated the positive. So like she had seen Auto do many times, she stood straight with her arms at her sides. Cursor whirled around her, weaving the image of a slim man with a shock of brown hair and glasses dressed in a dark grey pinstripe suit. Nodding in approval, Lina opened the stairwell door and walked purposely down the hallway toward the room where Auto was being held.

Fortunately she met no one, and soon she arrived at the room at the far end of the building: this was it. Since there was a magnetic field in place on the door, her disguise would be dispelled as soon as she stepped through. However at this point she didn't need it any longer. "Cursor, remove the image, please," she whispered, and he complied. "Now send a flare out a window where the others can see it, and then wait here." He zipped away.

Drawing her gun, she yanked the door open. "Police officer! Freeze!" There were two men in the room, as Cursor had shown earlier. One was standing in front of a desk; he whirled to face her with a startled look. Seated at the desk in front of a computer was Automan.

Taking immediate advantage of Logan's shift in attention, Auto rose and vaulted over the desk, tackling him to the floor. Lina rushed into the room and disarmed him, and then holstered her gun so she could secure his hands behind his back with plastic binders. "Auto, it's good to see that you're all right!" she said with relief, moving to bind Logan's ankles together. It wouldn't do if he managed to escape. Then she proceeded to state his rights.

Affection flowed through Auto's circuits but he quickly stifled it; this wasn't the time. "It's good to see you too, but we're not in the clear yet. Mr. Logan here has been regularly checking with a Mr. Argyle, who's holding Walter. If we don't reach them in less than five minutes, Walter will be killed. However I'm unable to leave this room: there's a magnetic field in the walls, and I can't sense the source."

Five minutes might not be enough time for Roxanne and the other officers to get there. It took a split-second for her to recall that she had only seen Auto pass through a wall or vertical object. Even though his form was affected by gravity if he chose, had he never attempted a downward shift? She beckoned him to one corner of the room, out of Logan's line of sight. "What about the floor?" she asked in a muted voice. "Try the floor!"

He knelt and reached down, and his arm disappeared into the floor up to the elbow. He felt nothing; had there been a magnetic field present he wouldn't have been able to penetrate far without pain. "Lina, you're brilliant."

"I'll meet you downstairs." She started to move off.

"No, there's a faster way." He nodded to her and stood still.

She glanced at him in confusion, and then remembered that he could merge others with his own form. She had only experienced it once, but very briefly, and hadn't fully appreciated it. Slightly nervous, she walked behind Automan and then stepped forward into him.

Instead of hitting his back as she would have if he were solid, her body disappeared - and her perceptions changed. She suddenly could see the flicker of the magnetic field running through the walls of the room, but the floor appeared porous and the contents of the room below were clearly visible, albeit slightly blurred. The hand that she lifted was no longer hers, but Automan's. "Wow," she said through Automan's lips. "I'm you!"

"You could never be me," he said with a smile. "You're still you. Now please relax." Auto made a slight jump and dropped down, phasing through the floor and becoming solid again to land easily on the floor below. "I can see Walter now; this way." He homed in on his creator's location, passing through several walls on the way and amazing Lina at the same time.

Soon he stopped in front of another door. Through it they could both see a haggard-looking Walter bound to a chair, his right arm bare where the sleeve of his shirt had been torn off. Argyle was standing nearby looking at his watch. "Mr. Logan's late with his check-in," he was saying. "I'll give him one more minute, then you're history."

"Take your best shot," Walter taunted, obviously knowing that he had little to lose. "If I know my partner, he won't let me down."

At Lina's mental prompt, Auto used his superhuman strength to kick the door open, taking Argyle completely off-guard. "You'd be right, Walter," he said as he crossed the room in two strides and swept one arm into Argyle's chest. The man was thrown into the far wall, and then fell to the floor bruised and stunned.

"Auto... thank God," Walter said with a sigh. "I was worried that you wouldn't make it."

"I had a little help." He stood still, and to Walter's immense surprise Lina de-merged from him and went to restrain Argyle. Then Auto proceeded to untie Walter from the chair, anxiously noting a long red burn welt on his upper right arm, possibly from a soldering iron or similar tool. "You should get medical attention for that."

"Heh, another scar to show for the work," Walter joked despite his discomfort. "But Lina," he called, and she looked in his direction, "I thought you were up at your cabin. How did you get here?"

Now it was her turn to admit that she'd had help. "Cursor." At the mention of his name, the glowing polyhedron streaked into the room and hovered at her shoulder.

Both men were taken aback, and Walter stared open-mouthed. "What? Cursor answers to you now? He hardly ever listens to me!"

"I received a message saying that it was an emergency," she explained with a shrug. "But Cursor took it a step further and manifested through my cellphone, asking me to come. I told him to rez up the Autochopper, and he did." She smiled, still in awe over the night's events.

Auto approached and held her shoulders lovingly. "Not just anyone could do that." Cursor twittered at him and he raised his eyebrows with interest. "Really? Then I must thank you too, Cursor. If you hadn't brought her, most likely I would still be trapped and Walter would be dead."

Walter walked up to them, rubbing his chafed wrists and wincing as he moved his burned arm the wrong way. "So now what?"

"Now," said Roxanne's voice from the door, "we clean up and go home." She walked confidently into the room, holstering a firearm. Like the two uniformed officers behind her, she was wearing a Kevlar vest and gun belt. "The building is secure and the magnetic fields on the doors are disabled. Looks like Agent Mann and Officer Baines did most of the dirty work for us. All the men are in custody."

Lina relaxed, immensely relieved. It was over.


	9. Chapter 9

Automan and all character names therein are owned by the American Broadcasting Company. All characters are fictional and resemblance to any persons living or dead is coincidental. No copyright infringement is intended.

Automan: Overclocked

By Sailor Chronos

Chapter 9

When the two officers had hauled Argyle away, Roxanne relaxed her official demeanour and embraced her husband. "I'm so happy to see you, Wally. Are you okay?"

"Yes, except for my arm." He showed her the painful burn. "They were using me to force Auto to cooperate. What did they want you to do, anyway?" he asked Auto as they all made their way outside.

"Among other things, they wanted their criminal records erased and replaced with false credentials. However as I worked I instructed the computers to erase my modifications and revert to the original files after six hours. I was confident that we would be free by then."

Lina asked, "But why you, specifically? Couldn't any hacker with the proper knowledge have done it?"

"It was likely the challenge more than anything," Walter reasoned. "They knew what Auto was and went to great lengths to trap him." He paused. "Now I'm worried. If word of this gets out, others might try to do the same. Auto, you'll never be safe."

Auto scoffed, in a very human gesture of defiance, "Every day, people put themselves in danger doing the most mundane things such as climbing a ladder or crossing the street. Why should I behave any differently?"

"He's right," Lina said. "He knows his limitations and the risks involved. You of all people should understand that, Walter."

He turned to her in frustration. "Oh, so you're taking his side? Do you know how many times we've had to stop him from showing what he really looks like? Being what he is, he's more vulnerable in some ways than we are!" His eyes narrowed. "What have you done that's caused him to act like this? Driving you in the Autocar comfortably, merging with you," his voice was rising with each example, "allowing you to command Cursor? You're a programmer too; how do I know that you haven't changed him?"

Lina was shocked. Walter had never given any indication until now that he was jealous of her interactions with Automan. She stared at him, speechless.

Roxanne, however, was furious. "Wally, how can you say that? She risked her job to recover him for you! Not to mention, she just helped save your life! How can you be so selfish?"

"Walter," said Auto softly, with a very hurt look. "You will always be my partner and my friend; that cannot change." He glanced at Lina briefly. "Lina didn't alter my program, she altered my feelings: I'm in love with her. I will admit that I was remiss in seeking your approval, since you are also my parent in a sense. You brought me into this world, gave me knowledge, and showed me how to be more than just a hologram."

"Automan, that's so sweet!" said Roxanne with a grin.

Now Walter was at a loss for words. His creation had once again done the unexpected: he had transcended the boundaries of his original program and become all but human. If Auto were his son he should be proud, not so overprotective. "Forgive me, Auto, Lina. It was wrong of me to accuse you." He smiled wryly, his anger abating. "Seems you two are perfect for each other."

Auto smiled and began to speak, but then he suddenly shut his eyes and doubled over in pain. "No... It can't be," he gasped.

"What is it?" Lina asked quickly as she moved to support him. This was definitely not a power failure. "Another magnetic field?"

"No, it's-" He screamed and fell to his knees, his form beginning to blur.

"Auto!" cried Walter. "Hang on!"

But he couldn't. With a last wistful look at his friends, Automan de-rezzed, immediately followed by Cursor.

The three of them stood in stunned silence for a moment, then Roxanne whispered, "What just happened to him?"

Walter stared at the spot where Auto had been, and said grimly, "I don't know, but I intend to find out!"

* * *

An hour later Lina, Walter, and his long-time friend and fellow computer expert Terri were engaged in a video conference through their respective computers.

"I looked at Automan's program," Walter said. "It appears to have been vastly corrupted by something, but I can't tell what. It's not a virus, since I built an anti-viral routine into him a long time ago."

Lina asked, "Could he have been damaged by the magnetic fields that he was exposed to?"

"That would have disrupted his molecular structure and forced him to return to the computer if the damage was severe enough," Walter replied, "but he said it wasn't, remember?"

"What about a power surge?" Terri suggested. "The building you were in was old, and it had been fitted with devices that its electrical wiring might not have been able to handle."

Walter shook his head. "He can process surges up to a point, but too much would either cause him to discharge the excess or shut down. What happened was no ordinary shutdown, and besides, a surge wouldn't have affected his code." He sighed and ran one hand through his hair. "Whatever's causing it, the program is deteriorating and we need to fix it fast or else..." He closed his eyes, his brow furrowing.

Lina knew what he was unable to say. If they couldn't repair the damage, Automan would be lost forever. "Maybe he just... tried to process too much data," she said. "I asked him once if he should be careful and he thought it wasn't necessary." Then it occurred to her that part of it might have been the fact that he had fallen in love with her. The thought caused her chest to compress like a vise.

"Don't lose it," Terri said gently when she saw Lina's reaction. "I can see that you care a great deal about Automan, but we'll need you thinking clearly. That goes for you too, Walter."

Walter cleared his throat and straightened in his chair. "All right, let's do this." They all began to type.

Hours passed.


	10. Chapter 10

Automan and all character names therein are owned by the American Broadcasting Company. All characters are fictional and resemblance to any persons living or dead is coincidental. No copyright infringement is intended.

Automan: Overclocked

By Sailor Chronos

Chapter 10

Lina sat in front of her computer, tears of despair running down her cheeks. Even with the combined efforts of Walter, Terri, and herself, they hadn't been able to halt the corruption of the program. Normal data recovery routines couldn't handle code of such complexity. Every manual attempt to correct the code and rez up Automan to do an on-site diagnostic had failed. Even their backups had proved useless, since somehow the base code had become locked and couldn't be altered.

Despite everything, Walter hadn't blamed her for the program's demise. He had theorized, like she had, that Automan had absorbed too much information and experienced too much emotion in such a short time that it had overwhelmed him. Still, she blamed herself. She had retrieved him in the first place, ostensibly to return him to Walter... but in the end it was because she had been infatuated with him. Now they were all paying for her selfishness: Walter was going through the soul-crushing pain of losing his creation a second time, his family had lost a friend, and she had lost her friend and lover.

Love. Walter had programmed Automan to be the perfect hologram, prepared for every eventuality, and yet it was the complexity of human emotion that had destroyed him. The Snowman had melted; this Pinocchio could never become a real boy no matter how much he or his friends wanted him to be.

"I'm so sorry, Auto," she said brokenly, as if he could hear her voice through the computer screen. "I was selfish. I thought you'd be able to handle it." She wiped her eyes but the tears kept coming. "You were the best crime-fighter, friend, and person that anyone could have hoped to be. And we all cared about you. You'll be missed."

Slowly she rose to her feet. It was very late and she needed rest, but she didn't think that she could sleep. Not now, not after all this.

Her stubborn streak showed briefly as she decided to not turn off the computer, perhaps in some forlorn hope that Auto would return. "'Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince; and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest,'" she quoted as she turned off the lights in the room, glancing one last time at the blank command window on the screen.

Halfway up the stairs her knees gave out and she was forced to turn and sit down, sobbing uncontrollably. "Who am I kidding?" she said to herself between ragged breaths, trying to deny the illogic of it. "It's a game, a display, a series of commands. But I..." She lifted her eyes back to the computer. "Oh, God help me, I love you, Automan! I've always loved you. Please come back."

Silence. Heartbroken, she mentally slapped herself for thinking that by some miracle words alone would bring him back when three expert programmers couldn't. She stumbled up the rest of the stairs and into her bedroom, collapsing on the bed in grief and exhaustion.

* * *

Deep inside the computer world, in the block where he usually resided when not active, Automan sat in pain. He had sensed his friends' attempts to correct his program, heard their pleas to return, and knew when they had at last given up. But he couldn't return, as his essence had been cut in half. It was like a barrier had been thrust between the hologram he had begun as and the complex person that he had evolved into: an old safeguard that Walter had programmed into him long ago and forgotten, inadvertently buttressed by repeated corrective coding. As a result he could no longer _feel_ anything.

However his memories remained for the moment, and already he missed the interactions that he'd had with his human friends. His own words of not-so-long ago came back to him: if he didn't feel, how could he truly understand the humans that he had been created to protect? How could he be a perfect hologram without emotion? He did not want to forget what it was like to care.

"I love you, Automan! I've always loved you. Please come back."

An echo of Lina's voice reached him. She was the crux of it: she had recovered him, brought him back into the human world, and helped him fully realize the potential that Walter had given him. For that he had loved her, only to be shut down by his own traitorous code.

He didn't want his friends to suffer. It was not logical for them to grieve for him, or wonder what had happened to him. He at least had to send some form of message, but his path to the outside world was blocked.

As he searched for a solution, it seemed that the barrier within him resolved into a wall that he could actually see, and he stood and pressed his hands on it. Beyond it, out of all the active computers online, was one whose unique identifier was that of Lina's, shining like a beacon. She had not given up, therefore he could not. He must contact her; give her a sign before he regressed completely.

No, that wasn't enough. Walter and Roxanne, their sons Jack and Matthew, and Lina... they were his family and he would not forget them. He wanted to feel again, wanted to love, wanted to LIVE. With all his remaining strength, he drove his fist into the wall in front of him.

A hole appeared, and light came streaming through. Then the wall shattered into myriad sparkling motes of energy, swirling around him and into him, repairing his body and restoring his heart. Emotion came rushing back, and for a moment he stood in awe at its return, holding one hand to his chest. Walter with his wisdom had given him a soul, and it had been Lina with her love that had completed it. He owed them both. But for now, there was just one thing to do.

* * *

Lina was lying on her stomach, on the edge of sleep, having wept until she had no more tears to give, when something roused her. There was a presence in the room, large and benign. She lifted her head slightly, and out of the corner of her eye noticed a blue glow. Moonlight? No... It was impossible...

She turned over onto her back and saw him standing in the doorway, the brilliance of his body illuminating the loving smile on his face.

"Hello Lina," he said quietly.

Unable to speak, she slowly got up and walked to him, and put a hand on his solid, smooth chest to convince herself that she wasn't dreaming. "You're here," she managed to whisper. "How? Your code was too damaged."

"My own code was responsible," he explained and gently pulled her to him, feeling the aliveness of her body in his arms. "My development had exceeded a pre-defined point, whereupon I was automatically shut down. I overrode the lockdown when I heard you calling." He cupped her face with one hand. "Lina, I remember you and I love you. Please don't cry any more."

Joy filled her and she tilted her head up to receive his kiss, not caring which form he presented, holding him tightly in sudden fear that he might dissolve at any moment. But he remained, warm and real. "Can you stay?" she asked hopefully.

"Not now; the city is waking." Already his power was ebbing, but he smiled to put her at ease. "The next time I'm summoned I'll be ready to get back to work. Please tell Walter to expect me."

"I will," she said. "Are you sure you're all right?"

He hugged her again briefly, and then stepped back. "Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry, we'll have our date. I promise." He disappeared.

Energized by Automan's visit, Lina hurried back downstairs, made a pot of coffee and went to her computer. The first thing she did was send Emails to Walter and Terri telling them the news, although they probably wouldn't read them until afternoon at the earliest. Then she went through Auto's miraculously recovered code and made some slight modifications.

Next, thanks to the assistance of some of Auto's computer acquaintances, she began to implement a project that she had spent several months developing but hadn't thought she would need, until now. Once it was in place, there would be no doubt as to who Automan was.


	11. Chapter 11

Automan and all character names therein are owned by the American Broadcasting Company. All characters are fictional and resemblance to any persons living or dead is coincidental. No copyright infringement is intended.

Automan: Overclocked

By Sailor Chronos

Chapter 11

It took longer to reach Walter's house the following evening than she had anticipated, but of course she'd had no choice but to take public transit since she had left her car up in Wrightwood. A bleary-eyed Walter answered the door when she arrived. "Lina? What are you doing here?" He clearly hadn't expected her.

"Don't you remember that we have something to finish?" she asked. She was bone-aching tired, having been up all of the previous night, and then spending the afternoon shoving records around her desk. But she was excited enough to stave off the fatigue for a little longer.

He ushered her inside with a nod and led her to the sitting room. "Thank you, but you didn't have to come all the way out here. Those electronics thieves were arraigned this afternoon. In addition to larceny they've got kidnapping charges on them for me and attempted murder for you."

She put a reassuring hand on his left arm, having noticed the bandage that he sported on his burned right arm. "I wasn't talking about that. Last night I discovered why Automan shut down." He glared at her with a heartbreaking mixture of anger and pain, but she squeezed his arm to keep his attention. "You all need to hear this; I take it you haven't checked your Email?"

"No, we didn't have time," he said as Roxanne came through, bustling Jack and Matt in front of her. Walter turned to them, "Lina has to say something."

They waited, their eyes betraying the fact that all of them were exhausted and grief-stricken. Lina took a deep breath, trying to contain her enthusiasm. At this point it would probably be best to not mention that Auto had visited her in the wee hours.

"First let me say again I'm sorry for what happened," she began. "I spent a long time trying to figure out why, and I finally found it. Automan shut down because of a safeguard routine that triggered in order to prevent him from overloading with too much information."

"Oh, no," said Walter, hanging his head. "I totally forgot about that. It was part of his program from the beginning. Because the computer resources that I had at the time were so limited, I didn't want to take the chance that his program might grow too complex for the system to handle."

"But why would it trigger now?" asked Roxanne. "With the capacity of modern computers, he should have almost unlimited expandability."

"That's true," Lina agreed. "But he'd become so much more than just a program. For all that his existence in this world was limited by the available electricity, he was as human as we are. There came a point where the systems just couldn't process the complex conditions that we call emotion."

"And the routine would have literally cut his code down to the proportions it could manage, and locked what remained," Walter finished, aghast at what his old program had done. "So what we saw wasn't really corruption, it was the rest of his code that had been separated from the kernel. And we rendered it inoperable by trying to 'repair' it. Good God..." He put his face in his hands, wracked by guilt. "WE destroyed him."

Now was the clincher. "No, we didn't," Lina stated simply.

They all stared at her. "What?"

"What we did was cause the safeguard to lock everything up and prevent any new code from being entered. That's why none of our modifications would stick. The barrier needed to be broken first, so to speak, before any new commands could be issued." She paused for effect. "So it was broken."

"Impossible," Walter whispered. "Once triggered, that program was designed to be permanent unless disabled, and only I knew how."

"You AND the one it was made for," she corrected, and couldn't help grinning at his confusion. "Automan broke it from the inside."

"HE did?" Roxanne exclaimed as hope dawned on all their faces.

"He's alive?" asked Walter, and then caught himself. "He exists?"

Lina couldn't keep the lid on any more, and laughed giddily. "Whatever you want to call it; yes! I'm not sure how he did it, and I don't think even he's sure. But he's well, he's complete, and waiting for our call."

As the family exchanged relieved hugs along with a few joyful tears, Lina went to the table where Walter usually kept a laptop computer. Then she fished a USB flash drive out of her pocket, plugged it into the laptop, and began to type. "After I found out that he was all right, I spent half the morning cleaning up the mess. I'm transferring the updates for you now. Also I accessed the histories and reports that were made over the years, and used that information to create a permanent record for him: education, employment, licenses, the works. From now on, anyone who checks will believe him to be the federal agent that we've always been saying he is, including the feds themselves. He's as legitimate as anyone else."

Roxanne became confused. "I don't get it. Why would you take the trouble to do that? As complex as he is, he's still not human."

With a full heart Lina replied, "He is to me." She opened a command window and typed the familiar activation codes. "Besides which, he's a member of this family, and you all deserve it. I present to you: Automan 2.0."

The floor shivered and the lights dimmed briefly. Cursor emerged from the computer screen, twittering in a fashion that could only be described as happy. He then streaked to the middle of the room and spiralled downward toward the floor; Automan appeared in that spot, already dressed in his standard business suit with the glowing blue stripe on the collar. His hair was subtly different, making him look slightly older, or perhaps wiser, than he had been before. However the piercing blue eyes and overall demeanour were the same as always.

"Hello, everyone," Auto said with a smile, and held his arms wide. "What do you think?"

With exultant shouts, the two boys rushed to him and all but bowled him over as they each tried to hug him first. With a laugh he knelt and hugged both of them warmly, like a big brother would, which in a way he was. Then he stood and hugged a teary-eyed Roxanne, and shook Walter's hand - without shocking him.

Finally he turned to Lina. He held her close but didn't kiss her, sparing her the potential embarrassing jeers from the boys.

Walter smiled broadly. "Good to have you back, Automan."

"I'm glad to be back," he said. "I would like to say something to you. Walter, you created me and gave me a soul." Then he looked back to Lina, "and Lina, you completed my soul by showing me how to love. I am forever grateful to you both."

"Be that as it may," said Roxanne, taking charge, "the boys need to go to bed and _we_," she meant the humans present, "all should rest."

"Fair enough," said Auto. "Lina, shall I take you home, or back to your cabin? You are technically still on vacation."

She grinned and started toward the door. "Home first; I need to clean up and get ready."

"This is becoming a habit," Walter grumbled, but good-naturedly. "Make sure you drive carefully!" he called after them.

"Let them go," said Roxanne gently to her husband as the door closed behind the couple. "They're both adults and won't get into any trouble."

"At least we'll know that Auto will always be back before dawn." Then he smirked as he realized what he had said, and they all laughed.


	12. Epilogue

Automan and all character names therein are owned by the American Broadcasting Company. All characters are fictional and resemblance to any persons living or dead is coincidental. No copyright infringement is intended.

Automan: Overclocked

By Sailor Chronos

Epilogue

Four days later, Lina strode into HQ looking happy and relaxed. An excited hubbub began as she made her way to Lt. Baker's office, but it wasn't entirely because of her; rather, the handsome smartly-dressed man who accompanied her was the main reason.

"Just ignore them for now," she advised him, but her eyes twinkled with hidden laughter. "We're here for business."

He smiled but said nothing.

She knocked on the office door, and Baker ushered them in. "Reporting for duty, sir," she said crisply. "You remember Federal Agent Mann?"

"I do indeed," Baker said, shaking Auto's hand. "I never did get the opportunity to thank you for your assistance in the Woodruff case a few months ago."

"You're quite welcome, Lieutenant. I take special interest in cases where technology is being misused."

Baker nodded. "So what brings you here today?"

"I was invited by Officer Baines to tour the facility, and I must say that so far I'm impressed by its efficiency. The people in Washington will be pleased to hear about how well it's run."

"Well," said Baker proudly, "thank you, Agent Mann. Speaking of efficiency, there is something that I would like to speak to you about. I understand that you've often worked with the L.A.P.D. as a federal attaché, primarily partnered with Walter Nebicher."

"That's correct," Auto affirmed.

"Lt. Nebicher and I have both spoken to our superiors, and as a result the department would like to establish a more prominent presence for you. You'll have your own office, and when you are here you may choose your own cases and will have the authority to command any resources you require."

It took all of Lina's self-control to not react gleefully. Instead she turned to Auto and said with a smile, "Congratulations!"

Automan was quite surprised. "That's extremely generous. Thank you, Lieutenant."

Baker brushed off the compliment with a wave. "Don't thank me; thank Lt. Nebicher for introducing you in the first place. You'll still work with him of course, and whenever any of your cases fall into our area I'm assigning Officer Baines here as your liaison."

Now it was Lina's turn to be surprised. "Me, sir?" She had hardly expected this!

He leaned over his desk with a mock glare and said in a stern tone, "I have a request for commendation here on my desk that states you were pivotal in the rescue of Agent Mann and Lt. Nebicher from Logan and his men, when you were supposed to be off-duty." Then he straightened up with a half-smile. "I think it's only fair that you be rewarded suitably. Whenever Agent Mann is working in this district, you will keep me informed and make sure that he gets what he needs. Do you have any problem with that?"

She glanced at Auto who was smiling at her, and she smiled back. Although Baker was making it sound like a punishment, it meant that she would be working with Auto more often. It would also make their relationship appear much more natural to everyone else. "No, sir, there's no problem at all."

THE END

Sailor Chronos

December 2010

I would like to thank the following people:

My husband, as always, for his support.

"Willow", my beta-reader, for helping with the editing and clarifying some details.

"Autonwallyluvr" for allowing me to borrow an idea from her own Automan fanfictions.

Glen A. Larson, the creator of Automan, for providing such an interesting concept to inspire the imagination.


End file.
